Drill Hall: of public shelters and public toilets

Concerns voiced afresh on social media

Late last year, the restaurateur Rockfish withdrew their application for the Drill Hall – one of the ‘outstanding issues’ being the public shelter and toilet block:

Back in September, Rockfish submitted their ‘finalised design plans’ for the Drill Hall – but they have raised concerns, very specifically those involving documents, the Charities Commission and The Trustees – and more generally about the public toilets, with a lot of comment on social media on 4 September, on 6 November, on 7 November and on 17th November.

In March this year further concerns were raised – with the VGS putting together a summary so far and comments on what appeared to be a deal to sell a ‘loo with a view’:

Last September, Rockfish submitted their plans for the Drill Hall – but with serious concerns voiced about the proposal by the District Council to sell off the public toilet block – as the land transferred in the original conveyance was registered as a charity in 1896 – with Sidmouth Town Council making up the Trustees…

In November last year, the Sidmouth seafront Rockfish plans were set for a go-ahead at the next planning committee meeting – which included the site of the Ham public toilets… But at the last minute, the Rockfish application for the Drill Hall withdrawn – the reason given that the Rockfish approval was now subject to a “flood action plan”. Finally [in March] it was being reported that the Sidmouth Rockfish loos and flood issues are still to be sorted.

At the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, 1st March, disquiet was expressed… The notion that the site is ‘undervalued’ and that ‘a better deal’ might be available might well be borne out by news from Cornwall this week – that a loo with a view has sold for over EIGHT times the guide price at auction…